Dry-cleaning apparatus



ummm@ Sept. 16, 193@u E. w. MISHAW DRY CLEANING APPARA'LUSA Filed Nov.18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HNI Eni 25.6 H

Y INVENTOR @wif MM5/ww WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Sp 369 E93@ E. W. MISHAWLWSQ@ DRYy CLEANING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 18, 1927 En@ y 2 Shams-Sheet 2ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE EGBERT W.MISHAW, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY DRY CLEANINGSYSTEM COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A C013,-

PORATION OF NEW JERSEY DRY-CLEANING APPARATUS Application led November18, 1927. Serial No. 234,277.

This invention relates to a dry cleaning apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which removesmoisture from clothes or other articles when they are placed in thewasher, then cools the washer, then thoroughly washes the clothes with afluid, then after the fluid is removed from the Washer heats the Washer;then removes from the clothes and the Washer all vapors; then condensesthe vapors to recover the fluid and thoroughly dry the clothes; and thencools the clothes by cooling the Washer, and then aerates the clothes inthe Washer to remove odors, so that the clothes when removed arecompletely cleaned, dried, cooled and aerated, and are ready forpressing.

The apparatus also includes means for cleaning the fluid after it isrecovered from the Washer, and this cleaning includesv the provision ofa still, a condenser, a filter, and also a mixer, which latter insuresthe proper commingling of the ingredients of the fluid which may becomeseparated by the Washing r operation.

My invention also includes means within the Washer for agitating theclothes or, in other words, causing the clothes to elevate and fallduring the washing operation as Well as during the recovery of theliquid and .the vapor, and during the drying and aerating operations, sothat throughout the entire operation of cleaning, recovering the fluidand aerating, the clothes or other articles are agitated.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combination and arrangements of partswhich will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawingsg Figure 1 is a view in elevation, more orless diagrammatic, showing my .complete apparatus;

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section through the Washer;

Figure 3 is an end view of the washer and its operating means;

Figure 4 is an exaggerated fragmentary view in section illustrating adetail of the construction of the washer, the View being taken on theline 4 4 of Figure 2.

My apparatus includes the provision of a Washer A, a clean fluid tank34, a dirty fluid tank 11, a still 21, condensers 13 and 26, filters 29and 39, a mixer 31, a separator 14', a button trap 10, a fluid pump 9and an air pump 16, l I I all of which are connected by pipes in acomplete circuit, as Will be hereinafter explained.

First of all, however, I will describe the construction of the Washer inso far as it pertains to the apparatus as a Whole.

The Washer A is preferably in the form of a cylindrical metal casinghaving a steam jacket 35, and in the washer al lining 36 is provided ofa metal which will resist the action of the fluid employed and which isin the form of a drum or cylinder slipped into the casing, and whilethis lining neatly fits the casing there is necessarily an air space be?tween the lining and the Wall of the Washer.

This air space is connected to the atmosphere by a plurality of tubularrivets or stay bolts 37, and this permits any air in the space betweenthe lining and the Wall of the Washer to be in constant communicationwith the atmosphere.

These tubular rivets or stay bolts Will indicate any leakage in theIlining as either the fluid, the vapor or the odor therefrom Will passthrough the stay bolts and give notice of leakage. Furthermore, theyprevent any distortion of the lining by reason of the expansion of lairbetween the lining and the wall of the Washer. Another important featureis that this communication with the out- Side-air prevents the liningfrom becoming heated to the point Where it might scorch the clothes orother articles in the Washer.

l A rotary drum 38 is mounted to turn freely in the Washer and ispreferably of metal, perforated as shown at 40, and secured to trunnions41 and on its ends mounted to turn in suitable packed bearings 42 at'the ends of the washer casing.

It -is of' course to be understood that the drum-38 will be equippedwith doors or closures of any kind for the admission and exit of theclothes or other articles, and the washer A will also be equipped with asuitable door 43 as shown.

Motion may of course be transmitted to the drum in any approved manner,but I have shown for the purpose a pivoted segment 44 meshing with `thepinion 45 on one of the shafts 41 and connected by a link 46 with thecrank arm 47'of a drive shaft 48 to which motion may be imparted fromany desired source of power.

A steam supply pipe 49 communicates with the steam jacket 35 and has amanually controlled valve 4 therein to open and close the pipe. Thispipe 49 is also provided with an automatic thermostatic control device,indicated by the reference character 51, which is connected by a tube 52with a thermostatic bulb 53 extending into the washer.-

` and 64 both of A gage 54 may be provided in the steam pipe 49 and acold water supply pipe 55 also. connects with pipe 49 and therein. Adrain pipe 57 communicates with the lower portion of the steam jacketand has a valve 5 therein.

A pipe 58 connects the bottom of the clean fluid tank 34 with aT-coupling 59, and has two valves 2 and 3 therein. The valve 2 islocated adjacent the bottom of tank 34 and is merely an emergency valveto shut 0E the liquid in the event that it is desired at any time, thevalve 3 being used to control the flow of fluid fromthe clean fluid tank34.

A short ipe 60 connects the T-coupling 59 with the utton trap 10 and apipe 61 connects the button trap 10 with the lower portion of thewasher. A pipe 62 located above the washer A has a pair of branch pipes6'3 which communicate with the interior of the washer at the upperportion thereof. This pipe 62 connects the washer with the condenser 13and has a valvel12 therein.

At the outlet end of` the condenser 13 I provide a sight tube 65 so thatthe operator can observe whether or not the liquid is passing throughthis sight tube, and said sight tube is connected by apipe 66 with aseparator 14, the outlet of the separator com 'municating with the topof the dirty fluid tank 11. p

The function of the separator is to separate the vapor omthe liquid, theliquid passing into the dirty fluid tank and the vapor escaping througha pipe 67 which is connected with the pipe 61 above referred to.

In the pipe line 67 the air pum 16 is locatedand a valve 17 is locatedin t .e pipe 67 between the air pump 16 and the pipe 6 1.

In the pipe 67 between the separator 14 and the air pump 16 a a pipe 68communicates with pipe 67 and has a .valve 19 therein.

The fluid pump 69 with theT-coupling 59 and has a valve 8 has a valve 56valve 15 is located, and

9 is connected by a pipe therein. A pipe 7 0 connects the fluid pump 9with the upper end of filter 39, and the lower end of said filter 39discharges into the top of dirty fluid tank 11.

An air outlet pipe 71 communicates with the branch pipe 64 of pipe 62and has an air pump 7 therein operated in any approved manner to drawair from the washer, and this pipe 71 is provided with a valve 1 betweenthe pump 7 and the washer. A pipe 73 connects the bottom of dirty fluidtank 11 with the still 21, and has a valve 2O therein.

The pipe 27 extends upwardly from the still 21 and communicates with amain coil 25 in a condenser 26, and this coil 25 drains through a pipe28 into the filter 29 and from the -ilter 29 through a pipe 30 into amixer 31. The mixer drains through a pipe 33 into the top of clean fluidtank 34 and has a valve 32 therein.

23 is a ipe communicating with the top of dirty uid tank 11 and having acoil 24 in the condenser 26 communicating with the main coil 25, and avalve 22 is provided in this pipe, which may be opened or closed asoccasion may desire.

. The drum 38 is preferably provided with blades or vanes 38 which causethe clothes to be elevated and allowed to drop during the operations ofthe drum.

Throughout the specifications and claim s I use the term clothes toindicate articles to be washed, but it is perfectly obvious that theinvention 'is adapted to wash articles of any type, such as wool inbags, I use the term clothes in its broadest sense to cover any articleswhich may be cleaned in this dry cleaning ap aratus.

The operation isas ollows: Y The clothes are placed in the drum of thewasher and the washer closed and made airtight. The first step is toremove all moisture from the clothes and all surplus air from theapparatus. To accomplish this the drum 38 is operated and valves 4 and 5are opened to allow the steam to circulate through the steam jacket andheat the washf then opened and air er. The valve 1 is pump 7 operated todraw'offjthe moisture and the excess air. The valves 1l and 4 are thenvclosed and the valve 56 is opened to allow` cold water to flow through,the pipe 19 and through the steam jacket and escape through pipe 57 tocool the washer.

After the Washer is cooled valve 56 is closed and when the steam jacketis thoroughly drained the valve 5 is closed.

A" Ihe next operation is to openthe valves 2 and 3 and allow the desiredamount of cleaning. fluid to flowinto the bottom of. the washer A.

Valves 2 and 3 are then closed and the oscillation or other movement ofthe drum containing the clothes is started and continues etc., andhence' throughout the operation of, washing the clothes, recoverin theliquid and vapor and drying and aerating the clothes.

The clothes are agitated for the desired length of time and then valve 8is opened and fluid pump 9 started to draw. the liquid through thebutton trap 10 and force the same through pipe 70 into the filter 39,from which it flows into the dirty fluid tank 11. The valve 8 is thenclosed and the fluid pump 9 stopped.

The next operation is to heat the washer and this is accomplished byopening valves 4 and 5, allowing the steam to flow freely through thesteam jacket, the temperature and pressure being under control throughthe medium of the apparatus above described.

The next operation is to open valves 12, 15 and start the air pum 16.This draws thevapor from the top of t e Washer through the branch pipes63 and 64 and through pipe 62 to the condenser 13 and from the condenserthrough the sight tube 65, pipe 66 and separator 14. This separatorcauses the li uid to flow downwardly into the dirty uid tank and thevapor is drawn 'upwardly from the separator through the ipe 67 to theair pump and back into the was er. This operation is continued until thesight tube shows that no `liquid is passing from the condenser when it1s apparent that the vapor has been recovered from the clothes.

The valves 12 and 15 are closed and also the steam inlet valve 4 isclosed.

The water inlet valve 56 is then opened to allow cool water to owthrough the steam- Jacket and cool the washer and at the same time coolthe clothes in the Washer.

The air inlet valve 19`1s then opened, and valve 17 is opened and alsovalve 18 is opened. The air pump is then operated to suck the air inthrough pipe 68 and through the pige 67 to the lower portion of thewasher an out through pipe 72 to the atmospherev to thoroughly aeratethe clothes and remove any odor of the cleansing fluid therefrom.

All valves are then closed and the washer may be opened and the clothesremoved.

'The operation of cleaning the fluid is as follows:

ingredients of the fluid to thoroughly commingle, and then valve 32 isopened allowing the fluid to flow back into the clean Huid tank 34.

Various changes and alterations might be made in the general form of theparts described witholxt departing from m invention and hence I do notlimit myself to the precise details set forth but consider myself atliberty to make such changes and Y claim.

including a an agitator Valve 20 is lclilpened to allow the fluid in thei dirtyfluid ta 11 to low'into the still 21. Vapor rising from the stillpasses through the ipe 27 and through the main coil 25 and con enser 26,and the liquid iows through pipe 28 into filter 29 and from the latterthrough pipe 30 into mixer 31 where it is collected.

The filter 29 is a precautionary measure in order to catch any lint orforeign matter which may not be removed by the distilling operation.

When the mixer is full valve 20 is closed and the operation of the stillis stopped. The

mixer is then operated to mix or cause the within the spirit-

